My discoveries as I search for the origins of King Arthur and discover the myths behind the myth. Plus research and revelations from my new WIP, set during the McCarthy Era. Also, a bunch of stuff I'm learning about writing and life. New posts on Mondays, New Zealand time (Sundays in North America.)

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Basics for Beginner Writers

I've got a new challenge. I'm teaching a course "Getting Started Writing Your Novel" for stark beginners. My class is full of folks who have never written a novel before -- not even the adolescent attempts I was famous for as a teen (I wrote six "books" back then, all so bad that they're not even gathering dust under the bed.)

This got me thinking: what does a beginning writer need to know? It's one thing for an experienced writer to talk about GMC or layering a scene. But for a stark beginner, it's easy to get the forest confused with the trees.

In the next few posts I'm going to be sharing what I think beginners need to know to get started writing a book. (Welcome, beginners!)

In the meantime, you more experienced writers, what is it that you wish you had known when starting out?

3 comments:

I wish I'd known the importance of POV and a beginner won't know that means Point Of View. I merrily danced in and out of my characters' heads with no definition.

I wish I knew to avoid repetition. I didn't know how easy it was to say the same thing over and over in different words.

My third wish? I wish I'd known how to use emotion sparingly for greater impact. To not use a whole series of strong words and create an overkill of emotion. Emotion should be the seasoning not the main course.

Thanks, Shirley. POV was a real challenge for me, too. Like you, I thought changing POV was cool -- show the scene from different angles. Fortunately, patient critique partners clued me in on how confusing it is.

I also had another variation on that theme: I wrote exactly the same scene from my heroine's POV in chapter 1 and then from my hero's in Ch 2. While that could have been neat, it ended up with too much repetiton. The result: I learned to be disciminating in my choice of POV.

I wish I had known how to show, instead of tell: an emotion, a mood, etc.

Mostly, though, I wish I had known how to structure the novel. I began it blissfully, but once I was in its midst it was daunting. Learning what needed to happen, in a structural sense, helped me find my way.

About Me

Been writing since I was 6, with dramas produced by the CBC and 20 years in advertising, but the real adventure's been outside the writing, with a life that churns story material. Started a farm on an empty piece of land in Nova Scotia, ran a health food bakery, taught university, herded cattle in Colorodo, was one of the top competitive carriage drivers in the West (combined driving), married to my best friend and most enthusiastic fan, taught English in China, sailed first class on the QE2, whitewater rafted around the world, ran a B&B. Currently living on the coast (awesome sea view) with a loving husband and three bossy cats. Life's been good!